by Rose Rushe
OPERATING out of central sites such as Daghdha Space, Dr John’s, Savoy Hotel and 69 O’Connell Street, the Autumn 2013 season of Limerick Arts Encounter (LAE) stoked a lively, engaged audiences for creatives of similar mind. For 2014, Lime Tree Theatre again administers the programme’s roll out into April.
As to what lies ahead thereafter, not much is clear yet.
Be it our Culture designation or not, local groups have concentrated on Irish writers for the coming season. The former Belltable at 69 O’Connell Street is venue for activity in the main part.
“The first programme was all about getting it out into the city,” is how Gill Fenton of Lime Tree reviews the event-packed schedule. “Now we are kicking off on January 30 at Savoy Hotel but most events are taking place this year out of 69 O’Connell Street. Theatre at the Savoy stages ‘Arsehammers’ and ‘Bonfire Night’, Thursday 30 and Friday 31, lunchtime and teatime shows.
“[PayDay Productions] then moves off site to No. 69 for ‘Making Lemonade’ for this Friday 31, 8pm play.
“Torch Players stage ‘The Shaughraun’ in February and it’s really great to see Quarry Players back at the former Belltable in March (11-15) with ‘Juno and the Paycock’. John Murphy will direct”.
Gill, marketing manager with the Mary Immaculate College based Lime Tree, has more to tell us. “A show I’m excited about is ‘A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man’. Richard Ryan of New Theatre Dublin brings this to O’Connell Street in March for one night only, and Limerick Youth Theatre is staging ‘Tortilla Flat’, an adaptation of a Steinbeck play, on the 3rd and 4th of March”.
She also references the run of cinema ahead utilising the state of the art digitised facilities at the former Belltable.
“‘SEE for Cinema’ is the film programme and it opened on Saturday 18 last with ‘Le Week-end’ to test the waters for Saturday night cinema audience in town. Here-after it reverts to every second Wednesday with big films like ‘Nebraska’, February 19, and ‘Every Shade of Blue’ on February 5 to show after Wednesday 22′s ‘Blue Jasmine’”.
See Arts’ story on the Royal Picture Show for news of episodic weekend film fests, themed variously. Use of 69 O’Connell Street is made possible under LAE’s wing; Fresh Film Festival will operate again from this base.
Still operating from this muncipal arts base with maintenance funded by Limerick Arts Office, Aaron Lawless’ ‘The Mobius Strip’ opened the visual arts narrative there for January. These shows have been curated since LAE began by Michele Horrigan.
With respect to Lime Tree’s own element to the Limerick Arts Encounter programme, next week’s return of Druid with ‘The Colleen Bawn’ and Irish Chamber Orchestra’s musical theatre exception, ‘My Brother Peter’ makes room on its national tour there on Saturday February 15 for this homage to Tchaikovsky.
Finally, our attention is drawn to the sole music gig pencilled in, an April 10 date. DFF is “Ireland’s new cross genre super-group..merging the talents of seven musicians”. An O’Connell Street gig.
More details of this programme and all booking are at www.limetreetheatre.ie
